Branding, a popular marketing concept, emphasizes the need to distinguish your business identity from the competition. Burning your company’s name, image, and services into your customer’s minds is the ultimate goal to long-term business success. Quick Response codes or ‘QR codes’ can help you in this endeavor.
QR codes are graphics that hold information such as website URLs, names, telephone numbers, and email addresses in a two-dimensional barcode. Your customers scan this barcode with their smartphone to access the information hidden in the code. The applications for using QR codes to market your business are endless.
Websites & Blogs
The simplest use for QR codes involves linking to your website or blog to gain customer traffic. You set up your QR code to hold a URL to your website. Your customer scans the QR code with their smartphone and the link opens in the browser on their phone. This increases interest to your website and may garner an increase in sales.
Social Networking
Social networking venues are essential in your marketing and networking strategies. Social websites let you connect to potential clients and customers. Social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter allow you to create incentives for people ‘liking’ or ‘following’ your online presence.
Since QR codes hold URLs to take your customers immediately to a website, them to send your customers to your Facebook or Twitter accounts. Once they like or follow you, you can offer incentives such as free e-books, tutorials, or coupons.
Discount Coupons
Your customers love discounts and coupons. Set up a page on your website with a discount or coupon that is only accessible through your QR code. The discount acts as an incentive to get your customer to scan your QR code. They get a positive experience from your company and are likely to remember your name for future business.
Personal URL (PURLs)
A direct marketing campaign using QR codes and personal URLs engages your customer and creates a lasting impression. Setting up a microsite or landing page for each customer in your direct marketing campaign creates an interactive experience for your customer. Once you have your PURL set up, you create a QR code with the URL to that microsite. Add the QR code to your direct mailers, emails and newsletters. Your customer scans the QR code and goes to a website tailored to their preferences.
Product Labels
The sizing requirements for a QR code remain flexible. You can create small QR codes to post your contact information on your business cards. You can create billboards with massive QR codes for generating traffic to your business.
Websites such as Cafepress, Vistaprint, and Zazzle let you create customizable giveaways such as pens, notepads, and brochures. Print a QR code on these items to create interest. You may also consider going a step further and putting QR codes on your company shirts, brochures and product sheets.
Inventive use of QR codes will make them feel tech savvy and automatically create a record of your business on their smartphone. Give your customer a reason to use QR codes, and they will.
Related articles
- 9 Unique Ways to Generate Leads With QR Codes (hubspot.com)
- 4 Ways Restaurants Should Use QR Codes (mashable.com)
- The Business Value of QR Codes [Marketing Cast] (hubspot.com)
